The present invention relates to a dashboard support, and a method of making a dashboard support.
The following discussion of related art is provided to assist the reader in understanding the advantages of the invention, and is not to be construed as an admission that this related art is prior art to this invention.
Dashboard supports are used in motor vehicles as a support for various cockpit functions and include a cross member which is placed between the A-pillars transversely to the travel direction to provide a reinforcement of the vehicle body. The cross member is normally produced in the automobile industry from one or more support beams. The dashboard has to meet several functions. In addition to provide reinforcement of the body for absorbing energy in the event of a crash and to connect various spatial points as well as to secure various holders for the instrument panel, the dashboard support is also used for mounting and securement of further functional vehicle components such as steering column, heating and air conditioning systems, airbag, center console, fuse box or glove compartment.
To secure the functional vehicle components or their mounts, holes, recesses, or protuberances are formed in the cross member as attachment points. Some of the attachment points are provided with connecting elements, such as nuts or bolts. Other connecting elements may be placed later, although this procedure proved labor-intensive and cost-intensive.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved dashboard support which obviates prior art shortcomings and includes a cross member which is easy to manufacture and affords great flexibility for design options.